I Got A Legendary Sniper Rifle - Chapter 185

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 185
Ep. 185
Hanryeol’s gaze drifted downward once more.
The puncture wound on his thigh had healed cleanly.
‘Is… is he really healing me? With that gun that fired the lava?’
It defied all common sense—nothing but incomprehensible occurrences.
Though from the perspective of someone who knew nothing, it all seemed perfectly natural.
But Hanryeol’s misfortune was far from over.
Before he could even properly grasp the situation.
Whoosh—!
“?!”
Lava suddenly erupted right beside him.
Normally, Hanryeol would have detected the warning signs and dodged, but with everything happening so chaotically, his reaction came too late.
A Ranker in the top 10 was about to meet a gruesome end.
But.
Flutter—
“Oh, my!”
While Hanryeol stared blankly at the lava descending upon him, Ihyeon swiftly activated his sniper point conversion skill.
Even as he used the skill, he pulled Pulisto’s massive hide from his inventory and spread it like a shield to block the lava from both of them.
Sizzle—
After all, Pulisto was the king of the Lava Giants who dwelt within the lava pools.
His hide let the erupting lava flow past as effortlessly as an umbrella sheds drizzle.
“Are you alright?”
Beneath the massive hide of Pulisto, from within the dark shadow.
Ihyeon asked Hanryeol, whose eyes still held that dazed expression as he looked up at him.
Hanryeol stammered his words.
“Why would you…?”
Though they had only just met today, he had treated Ihyeon terribly.
He’d challenged him to a duel, spouting nonsense about traditions that didn’t even exist.
He’d subtly disrespected both him and his Spirit.
He’d even considered using Ihyeon as bait if he charged forward first.
And yet Ihyeon?
Not only had he calmly accepted his shameful behavior, but he’d healed his wounds and even saved him from certain death.
If it were him, he might have simply pretended not to see, let it pass.
Hunters who took direct hits from lava on the 80s Floors often suffered fatal wounds or death.
Besides, no one would have known that Ilgyeok and Hanryeol had entered the 81st Floor together, and even if they did, he could have claimed there was no time to act.
And yet…
Meanwhile, Ihyeon’s expression remained unchanged as he answered matter-of-factly.
“Is there a reason to save someone’s life? If there’s a person in danger and I have the ability to help, then I help.”
Well, it was true that Hanryeol had been the one to provoke Ihyeon.
But that doesn’t mean he deserved to die, does it?
The man had an odd way of speaking, was somewhat scatterbrained, seemed rather boastful, and appeared to have a poor personality, but….
‘…Still, I should save a person’s life when I can.’
Now that I thought about it, his flaws were more than just one or two, yet I still believed saving Hanryeol had been the right choice.
Even if Hanryeol had acted strangely toward me, he was an indispensable top-tier Hunter for the Aegis Guild.
Moreover, he had made considerable contributions to Gate and Instant Tower conquests.
Had I not saved him, it would have been a tremendous loss not just for the Aegis Guild, but for South Korea as a whole.
Meanwhile, upon hearing my response, Hanryeol….
Zing——!
It seemed that a second spring breeze had arrived in Hanryeol’s otherwise cold heart.
‘So there was a reason why Lady Shin Gung descended all the way to the 70th Floor herself!’
…Though it was completely contrary to the facts, Hanryeol was inwardly convinced.
He had always thought himself the perfect match for Shin Gung, but to think such a remarkable man existed!
Truly, it was the kind of misunderstanding that would make me question what nonsense he was spouting if I heard it.
Ssshhh—
The lava subsided, and I gathered Pulisto’s hide and placed it back into my inventory.
Whoosh—
Hanryeol quickly rose to his feet and bowed deeply to me.
“Thank you for saving me, Young Master!”
‘Young Master? What’s that about?’
I clicked my tongue inwardly as I observed Hanryeol, whose every form of address seemed unusual.
He must be around the age of just graduating from university?
He looked a few years younger than me, and I found it quite unfortunate that he had become this way.
‘Well, being young, I suppose that’s how it is.’
In any case, unlike at first, he seemed to have become much more friendly, so I couldn’t say anything bad about him.
“No, that’s not it. Rather, that verification….”
“Hahaha! Verification? What verification? Between us!”
I stared at Hanryeol in bewilderment—he had suddenly done a complete 180-degree turn from being merely friendly.
He was my lifesaver, but could a person really change this drastically?
Tug tug—
“Master, what’s your relationship with that guy?”
“…How should I know?”
I shrugged my shoulders at Elsie, who had approached my side and was tugging at my sleeve.
“That’s quite surprising, actually. The rumors said you were a Dark Mage, and at first glance I thought you were an Assassin. But you use a Gun?”
“Well, yes. It just happened that way.”
I was well aware of the public’s leading theories about my identity.
After Jia’s identity was revealed, it seemed to have solidified into these two main hypotheses.
If I had to choose, it was closer to the Assassin theory.
Click click— Click—!
“You could call me a long-range Assassin.”
Unlike ordinary Assassins, he simply conducted assassinations from a distance.
Hanryeol laughed heartily upon hearing Ihyeon’s words.
“Ahahaha! Your words are absolutely right, young master. Truly magnificent. As I mentioned earlier, the verification is now complete. However, since we’ve already begun, let us engage in a friendly competition in the name of the Dragon.”
“A friendly competition, you say?”
“Indeed. Between you and me, young master—a simple contest to see who can slay more monsters.”
“That is….”
Wouldn’t that be essentially no different from before?
Ihyeon felt this brief moment of doubt, then let out a soft chuckle.
Unlike before, the malice had vanished from Hanryeol’s eyes, which now gleamed with such brightness.
Looking at him now, this Ranker with his peculiar manner of speech actually resembled an unexpectedly innocent younger brother.
“Very well. A friendly competition.”
“Excellent! Then I shall commence first! Allow me to demonstrate the dignity of a senior from the 80s Floors!”
Hanryeol flashed a broad smile, nodded his head, and began preparing his skills.
Swish—
First, the Cloud Dragon’s Stride.
A skill that allowed him to move freely and unaffected across this treacherous terrain, as if a dragon frolicking upon clouds.
Swish—
And the ‘Obsidian-Forged Dagger’.
Not obsidian from Earth, but a dagger crafted from a special mineral called ‘obsidian’ within the Tower—a blade Hanryeol treasured so dearly that he rarely ever drew it.
With various assassination skills layered upon it, even to Ihyeon’s eyes, it was far from ordinary.
‘So this is Ranking 10th.’
With his combat preparations complete, Hanryeol burst forward.
“Ooh, in the name of the Dragon!”
‘…But does he really have to invoke the Dragon every time?’
Whoooosh——!!
Yet each time he spoke those words, his power visibly intensified, so there seemed to be some reason behind it.
The target was the location where the Lava Lava he’d scouted earlier was hiding!
As Hanryeol drew sufficiently close, the ground cracked with a sharp sound, and a crimson lava lizard erupted upward.
It happened in what could only be described as a single moment—a blink of an eye—yet Hanryeol’s dynamic vision captured every detail with perfect clarity.
‘Scale Mirage!’
First, he laid down a mirage to precisely target the rear of the Lava Lava that had detected him, then struck from behind.
This was how the Dragon’s Assassin fought!
Even among the 80s Floors, this combination of Hanryeol’s possessed enough power to capture virtually any monster.
‘Hehehehe, I must demonstrate my strength to young master Ilgyeok.’
Hanryeol desperately wanted to prove that he was not merely full of bluster and incompetent.
…His previous conduct had indeed been shameful in his own eyes.
But.
Twang——!
“?!”
Before Hanryeol’s dagger could even pierce the Lava Lava’s nape, Ihyeon’s mana bullet had already blown a hole clean through the creature’s head.
Given that the Lava Giant’s entire body was composed of lava, Hanryeol hastily retreated backward to prioritize evading the molten rock that gushed out in a gurgling cascade.
“What in the—!”
Hanryeol spun toward Ihyeon’s position, bewildered that his prey had vanished before his eyes.
There stood Ihyeon, Gun shouldered and aimed directly at him.
Ihyeon smiled as he spoke.
“I’m not the type to walk around losing bets, you see.”
I understood well enough that Hanryeol’s attitude had shifted.
But that was all.
No matter how openly I’d been ostracized in the Military, what kind of place was it really?
A society where bets were wagered on everything—soccer, sports, work, training, even the slightest gesture someone made!
It was so insular and devoid of purpose that people passed time with such trivial wagers.
I’d experienced my fill of bets myself.
And at some point, the Agents had become quite reluctant to include me in their bets.
Why?
‘Whenever I place a bet, I somehow manage to win.’
Separate from the hazing and ostracism I’d tolerated well enough, my nickname throughout the battalion was the Bet Demon.
Not just in my company, but across other companies as well, my reputation was well-known.
Even if my opponent were not the 10th-ranked Hunter, but Seo Suyeon herself, the 1st-ranked.
Click—click—!
“Let’s continue the bet.”
I had no intention of losing.
“…Y-young master.”
How to describe it.
Unlike when he’d saved me earlier, I seemed gripped by a peculiar madness.
Meeting my gaze, which gleamed under the flickering light of the surrounding lava, Hanryeol felt a bead of sweat trickle down his spine.
It wasn’t merely the oppressive heat of the 80s Floors.
‘Did I touch something I shouldn’t have…?’
Meanwhile, as Hanryeol remained rigid and made no move, I nodded and spoke.
“If Hunter Hanryeol has no intention of moving, Elsie.”
“Got it, Master. I’ll take care of that one.”
“I shall proceed first.”
Thus, Ilgyeok’s true advance through the 80s Floors had truly begun.
* * *
How many minutes had passed?
Thud—
Hanryeol fell to his knees.
“I’ve… I’ve been defeated…. I’ve been utterly crushed….”
It was a declaration of defeat tinged simultaneously with despair, humiliation, and awe.
Ihyeon stood not far from him and shrugged his shoulders.
“Not at all. Among Hunters, is there truly a distinction between defeat and victory?”
Here I am!
Hanryeol looked up at Ihyeon, who was spouting nonsense with an unperturbed tone.
Defeat and victory exist separately, you say?
Of course, even Hanryeol, who was ordinarily quite proud, would have grudgingly agreed with that statement.
After all, the number of monsters defeated alone couldn’t perfectly gauge a Hunter’s true ability.
Compatibility with monsters, trait characteristics, skill combinations—and so forth.
Naturally, dealers would be the ones defeating the most monsters during a clear, but that didn’t mean anyone disparaged the roles of Tankers and Healers.
But this time was different.
30 to 0.
That was Ihyeon and Hanryeol’s score by the time they’d defeated all the Lava Babies necessary for the minimum requirement to clear the 81st Floor.
Hanryeol hadn’t caught a single one.
Not a single one!
Every time Hanryeol tried to catch a Lava Baby, Ihyeon would beat him to it with his gun, leaving him no chance whatsoever.
Ihyeon, who used fellow Hunters as bait to succeed in clears—now using Hanryeol himself like bait instead.
And that wasn’t all.
Just like when hunting the first Lava Baby, whenever Hanryeol waited, Ihyeon would pull out the ones hiding underground with that insane tactic—how was one supposed to counter that?
Hanryeol shouted, his voice filled with the frustration of complete defeat in their wager.
“This is not my defeat!”
“Then…?”
“It is the defeat of the dragon within me…”
Hanryeol, unable to contain his anger, struck the ground with his fist once as he spoke.
During the clear, Ihyeon had heard somewhat about Hanryeol’s trait.
A trait that granted bonuses the stronger one’s reverence for dragons became—Dragon’s Assassin.
So Hanryeol firmly believed there was a dragon within him, and he conducted himself in a way that showed love for it.
…In a way, it was truly his calling.
And Ihyeon felt doubt at his melancholic words.
‘Isn’t that usually supposed to be said the other way around?’

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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